1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a language information processing apparatus which is suitably used as an electronic translating machine such as a portable translating apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, as language information processing apparatuses, electronic translating machines such as portable translating apparatuses which translate a sentence example selected by a user from among definite-form sentences prepared in advance (e.g., in Japanese) into another predetermined language (e.g., English), and which display the translated sentence on a display unit in that language or speak the translated sentence are known. In general, there are phrases (sentence examples) which are used only by males, as well as phrases (sentence examples) -which are used only by females. That is, male users do not require the sentence examples used only by females, and female users do not require the sentence examples used only by males.
Accordingly, in the conventional language information processing apparatuses, in a case where the user is female, all the speech data corresponding to sentence examples are stored in a female voice, and every speech is generated in a female voice. On the other hand, in a case where the user is male, all the speech data corresponding to sentence examples are stored in a male voice, and every speech is generated in a male voice. In other words, the user uses an apparatus in which the speech data corresponding to his or her sex are stored.
In recent years, among the above-described language information processing apparatuses, an apparatus has been proposed which permits communication with another apparatus at a remote place by exchanging sentence example information. In this case, the transmitting side transmits only a code designating a sentence example that one intends to send to the other party, while the receiving side reads speech data corresponding to the received sentence example (code) and displays it or outputs it as a voice.
However, in the conventional language information processing apparatus, if the user is male (female), even sentence examples used exclusively by females (males) are stored in a male (female) voice. Therefore, in a communication between persons of opposite sexes, in a case where the transmitting side is female (male) and a sentence example used exclusively by females (males) is transmitted, the transmitted sentence example is spoken in a male (female) voice if the receiving side is male (female), though it is one peculiar to females (males). This may cause the following problems: a sense of incompatibility is imparted to the other party or the user himself or herself, and the sex of the other party or the user is misunderstood.